Council designates former First Church of Christ, Scientist a Class 1 historic landmark

Sarah Yoon, the city's historic preservation planner, presented the staff report recommending the reclassification of the former First Church of Christ, Scientist at 605 South Riverside Drive from Class 3 to Class 1 on the city's historic register. Yoon said the building, designed in the midcentury-modern style by Frey and Chambers (with later additions by Frey in 1961), retains integrity of design, materials and setting and meets the preservation criteria in the ordinance.

Eric Chiel, representing DesArt Performed (the building's adaptive reuse tenant), described phase one of an adaptive reuse and said the long-time caretaker was moved by the restoration work. Council members praised the project as a model of preservation and adaptive reuse that brings cultural activity to the south end of Riverside Drive.

Council voted to adopt the historic designation and thanked the applicant team for stewardship of the property.

Next steps: the designation places future alterations under the preservation ordinance review and staff will update the public historic register.